When I enter the room where Liko is, I hear a baby crying. It's very loud.
"Co in, co in."
Loni tries to open the door.
"Wait a minute!"
Can I help you?
"I'm putting up wards, just give a minute."
"Warding?"
"Look, I don't want the baby to catch my germs, do you? I haven't even washed my hands..."
Roni smiles.
"Yes. We've taken every precaution to make sure of that, but.... It might be safer if you put up so wards. Then, please do so."
After I had finished putting up the wards, Loni led into the room.
The room was exactly as it had been when I first brought Rico there. It was very clean and tidy. There was not the slightest hint of Rico's screaming that I had heard in front of the room yesterday. The room was filled with the loud crying of a baby wrapped in a white cloth.
Rico was quite exhausted, but he was holding the baby in his arms with a happy look on his face. I slowly approach Rico's bed.
"Rico..."
"Llinos... you have a baby."
"Thank you. You did... you did... thank you..."
He wiped his tears over and over again, but they wouldn't stop. I kept wiping away my tears as I put my hand on Rico's shoulder.
"Linos.... Don't cry, look at your child's face.
Rico hands the baby. I hold the baby in my arms and find that it is much lighter than I expected. He is still loud and squirming in my arms.
He is still loud and squirming in my arms. Is he a little... big?"
"Yes. I think it's a pretty big baby."
Roni follows up.
"Roni, thank you. Thank you for your help. Loni did a great job."
"No. I was just helping. It was Licorette who really did the hard work. And to Ms. Ruara and Mr. Peris, you really helped a lot.
I look for Luara and Peris while holding the child. They were sitting on chairs near the entrance of the room. They are also exhausted, but they have smiles on their faces.
"Congratulations, Master!"
"I'm really, really happy for you. Congratulations!
"Ruara, Peris. Thank you so much. You guys did it. Thank you."
Both Ruara and Peris look at each other with smiles on their faces.
I slowly look at the baby's face. Then I burst out laughing. At the sa ti, a tear rolls down my cheek.
"What's wrong? Linos?"
Rico is a little surprised to see laughing while crying.
"Is she... a girl?"
"Yes, she's a healthy baby girl."
I hear Roni's voice over my back.
"Linos... I'm sorry. I wanted to have a boy..."
Rico sighs dejectedly.
"No, it's okay. It's okay. I just want them both to be okay. Daughter. It's going to be gorgeous.
With these words, I return the baby to Rico. The baby, held by its mother, beca quiet with its hands clenched in relief and began to move its mouth with a crunch.
"Linos... We have to decide on a na for this baby.
"Right."
I looked into the baby's face again. His face is wrinkled, like a monkey's, but for so reason, there is a crease between his eyebrows. I activate my appraisal skill on this baby.
"I knew it..."
"What is it, Linos?"
Rico looks at strangely. I look at Rico with a smile on my face.
"I think I have a na for you."
"Well, what kind?"
"I'm Eril."
"Eryl... The na of the man who taught Linos swordsmanship when he was a slave...?"
"Yes. The Lady Eril ca to in a dream once. And she said she would protect . Shortly after that Rico beca pregnant. I think this baby must be her reincarnation."
"Barsam Darke Elil.... That's a very nice na.
Rico looks at the child with a big smile on his face. A crease between her eyebrows, a furrow that rises when she closes her eyes. And his innate skill of "swordsmanship level 1". I was sure that this girl must be the reincarnation of Eryl.
"Welco ho, Miss Erile!"
I whisper to the baby. As if relieved by my words, the baby began to sleep soundly.
"...Your Highness! Please run away! Your Highness!
"Run! At least you should escape! Protect my unborn child!"
A rebellion had broken out in a mansion in the palace of the Heedata Empire. The rebels underestimated the owner of the mansion and, at the perfect mont when the emperor was away, carefully planned and executed their operation. The house was completely taken by surprise and was forced to intercept the rebels with a small force.
It's no use. The house is completely surrounded.
Then, we'll go underground to the transition zone!
"Perhaps that too will be destroyed."
Stroking her plump belly, the woman called Her Highness slowly rose from her chair.
"How can you be so calm? Aren't you afraid?"
The owner of the pavilion called out to him, his face scrunched up. The woman sighs and looks around slowly.
"That's why I told you to be on guard..." she sighs and looks around slowly. Well, it can't be helped now, can it? We'll just have to do it.
"Do... do what?"
It's obvious. We fight.
"No, you idiot! Do you have any idea how many soldiers are out there! There are probably 500 of them, okay?"
The woman closes her eyes and thinks. There is a mont of silence in the room, and then she slowly opens her eyes.
"Hmmm... I'm going to have to put a curse on it. I'm going to have to ask my father for help.... I'll have to ask my father... I'm sure my mother will be angry with ..." she says. But this can't be helped. Karn, I want you to bring as many swords as you can find in this room.
Are you... really going to fight?
"Of course. Fortunately, this room is warded against all magic. As long as you are in this room, you will not be defeated.
"Your Highness, I have sothing for you. This is all I have in my room.
A lady attendant called Karun brought six swords in her hands.
"So many swords! That's enough."
The woman took one of the swords in her hand and held it in her hand. At that mont, a soldier in full armor burst into the room.
"I presu you are the Crown Prince and Princess. Your lives...!"
Without letting her finish, the sword of the woman called Her Highness pierced the soldier's whistle. Imdiately after that, the soldiers around her were cut down in an instant.
"...That is indeed a Holy Sword. It's very sharp."
The woman was checking her sword for spills, paying no attention to the corpses lying around her. Then, hearing the soldiers' cries, more soldiers burst into the room.
"Your Highness, stay behind . You mustn't move.
As she glanced back, the woman's sword swung out with blinding speed, and in an instant the soldiers lost their lives.
On this night, the rebel army was destroyed by a single woman. The ringleader of the rebellion died a horrible death, his body cut into two pieces by his armor.
It was the wife of the Crown Prince of the Heedata Empire who put down the rebellion known as the "Dawn Rebellion". She was called the "Queen of Fresh Blood" because she was wearing clothes stained bright red from the returning blood, and she left her na in the history books. Her na was Eryl.
She later beca the Empress of the 16th Emperor of the Hereditary Empire, Hereditary Sure Arrows, and was called the most powerful Empress in the history of the Empire, but that was still a few decades later.
Neither Rinos nor Rico had any way of knowing at that ti that such a future awaited this baby.
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